<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0EpVZS26BUs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bzIu7o5NH1k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h0IC8Nwkd1w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8AO2iGqgnDs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Implying that basketball 50 years ago had the defenses and refs of today. And Manute had a serviceable post game? You even trying here?
That is false. 1. Kareem's last year in the league was 1988-1989. He was averaging 10 points and 4.5 rebounds. That same year Hakeem was only Hakeem's 5th year in the NBA, and he was averaging 25 points and 13.5 rebounds... AND, that wasn't even Hakeem's prime. Hakeem's prime wasn't until the early to mid 1990's. So no, Kareem never "contended" with a "prime" Olajuwon. 2. Hakeem did compete well with Shaq for a little while when Hakeem was in his prime and Shaq was young. Hakeem retired when Shaq was in his prime. Hakeem was not stopping a prime Shaq in the early 00's. So also false. 3. Shaq was never competing with a prime Dwight, so I'm not even going to get into that one. Shaq was hobbling around the court collecting a paycheck in his last years in the NBA. And Shaq never really competed with Yao in his prime, either. Shaq was still decently solid, but past his prime when Yao Ming was doing well in Houston from 2005-2009. So once again... false. But if you honestly think 1960's Wilt Chamberlain could seriously match-up with late 1990's, early 2000's Shaq, then I don't know what to tell you.
Oh really? Here are all of the stats of their head-to-head games. Why wasn't he dropping 50 points every game? His stats against somebody like Jabbar, who was about Wilt's size and skilled, were about like you'd see from a skilled player today. Except skilled players today are more skilled than they were in the 60's and 70's. Regular season – 1969-70 1. Date: Fri 10/24/69 - Chamberlain 25 pts, 25 rebs, 5 as, 3 blocks, 9-14 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 23 pts, 20 rebs, 2 as, 2 blocks, 9-21 FG/FGA L Regular season – 1970-71 2. Date: Fri 11/20/70 - Chamberlain 28 pts, 23 rebs, 3 as, 10 blocks, 7-20 FG/FGA – 6 blocks against Jabbar L -Abdul-Jabbar 29 pts, 13 rebs, 0 as, 2 blocks, 13-32 FG/FGA W 3. Date: Mon 12/21/70 - Chamberlain 25 pts, 14 rebs, 3 as, 2 blocks, 11-23 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 16 rebs, 0 as, 4 blocks, 17-33 FG/FGA W 4. Date: Fri 02/05/71 - Chamberlain 14 pts, 14 rebs, 3 as, 6 blocks, 7-10 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 27 pts, 10 rebs, 3 as, * blocks, 10-21 FG/FGA L 5. Date: Thu 02/11/71 - Chamberlain 25 pts, 11 rebs, 1 as, * blocks, 10-19 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 31 pts, 21 rebs, 0 as, * blocks, 13-30 FG/FGA – 2 blocks against Wilt W 6. Date: Wed 03/03/71 - Chamberlain 24 pts, 13 rebs, 5 as, 8 blocks, 7-15 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 15 pts, 6 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 7-21 FG/FGA W Post season – 1970-71 – WCF playoffs 7. Date: Fri 04/09/71 - Chamberlain 22 pts, 20 rebs, 1 as, 8 blocks, 10-19 FG/FGA – 3 blocks against Jabbar L -Abdul-Jabbar 32 pts, 22 rebs, 1 as, 1 blocks, 14-30 FG/FGA W 8. Date: Sun 04/11/71 - Chamberlain 26 pts, 22 rebs, 0 as, * blocks, 10-21 FG/FGA - Wilt blocked numerious shots L -Abdul-Jabbar 22 pts, 10 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 9-19 FG/FGA W 9. Date: Wed 04/14/71 - Chamberlain 24 pts, 24 rebs, 3 as, * blocks, 9-19 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 20 pts, 19 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 8-16 FG/FGA L 10.Date: Fri 04/16/71 - Chamberlain 15 pts, 16 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 7-14 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 31 pts, 20 rebs, 5 as, * blocks, 14-20 FG/FGA W 11.Date: Fri 04/16/71 - Chamberlain 23 pts, 12 rebs, 4 as, 6 blocks, 10-21 FG/FGA – 5 blocks against Jabbar L -Abdul-Jabbar 20 pts, 15 rebs, 5 as, 3 blocks, 7-23 FG/FGA W Regular season – 1971-72 12.Date: Sat 11/21/71 - Chamberlain 11 pts, 26 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 4-9 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 39 pts, 17 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 17-33 FG/FGA L 13.Date: Sun 01/09/72 - Chamberlain 15 pts, 12 rebs, 2 as, 6 blocks, 7-11 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 39 pts, 20 rebs, 5 as, 9 blocks, 18-34 FG/FGA W 14.Date: Fri 02/04/72 - Chamberlain 18 pts, 25 rebs, 3 as, * blocks, 8-14 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 40 pts, 18 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 16-33 FG/FGA L 15.Date: Wed 03/01/72 - Chamberlain 8 pts, 17 rebs, 5 as, * blocks, 3-5 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 33 pts, 12 rebs, 8 as, * blocks, 13-33 FG/FGA L 16.Date: Fri 03/17/72 - Chamberlain 18 pts, 25 rebs, 5 as, * blocks, 7-15 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 50 pts, 8 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 22-39 FG/FGA L Post season – 1971-72 – WCF playoffs 17.Date: Sun 04/09/72 - Chamberlain 10 pts, 24 rebs, 0 as, * blocks, 3-12 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 33 pts, 18 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 14-26 FG/FGA W 18.Date: Wed 04/12/72 - Chamberlain 11 pts, 17 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 3-5 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 40 pts, 7 rebs, 7 as, * blocks, 18-31 FG/FGA L 19.Date: Fri 04/14/72 - Chamberlain 7 pts, 14 rebs, 4 as, 10 blocks, 1-3 FG/FGA – 6 blocks against Jabbar W -Abdul-Jabbar 33 pts, 21 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 15-37 FG/FGA L 20.Date: Sun 04/16/72 - Chamberlain 5 pts, 11 rebs, 4 as, 3 blocks, 2-7 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 31 pts, 18 rebs, 3 as, 7 blocks, 14-33 FG/FGA W 21.Date: Tue 04/18/72 - Chamberlain 12 pts, 26 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 2-3 FG/FGA - 4 blocks against Jabbar W -Abdul-Jabbar 28 pts, 16 rebs, 3 as, * blocks, 13-33 FG/FGA L 22.Date: Sat 04/22/72 - Chamberlain 20 pts, 24 rebs, 2 as, 9 blocks, 8-12 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 25 rebs, 8 as, * blocks, 16-37 FG/FGA L Regular season – 1972-73 23.Date: Tue 11/14/72 - Chamberlain 16 pts, 15 rebs, 1 as, * blocks, 8-12 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 16 rebs, 6 as, 7 blocks, 17-32 FG/FGA L 24.Date: Tue 12/05/72 - Chamberlain 9 pts, 15 rebs, 7 as, * blocks, 4-4 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 29 pts, 17 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 11-30 FG/FGA L 25.Date: Sun 01/07/73 - Chamberlain 9 pts, 18 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 3-5 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 37 pts, 12 rebs, 7 as, * blocks, 17-36 FG/FGA W 26.Date: Fri 02/09/73 - Chamberlain 8 pts, 14 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 3-3 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 29 pts, 24 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 14-24 FG/FGA W 27.Date: Sun 02/25/73 - Chamberlain 24 pts, 20 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 10-14 FG/FGA W -Abdul-Jabbar 21 pts, 21 rebs, 6 as, * blocks, 10-27 FG/FGA L 28.Date: Tue 03/27/73 - Chamberlain 0 pts, 14 rebs, 4 as, * blocks, 0-0 FG/FGA L -Abdul-Jabbar 24 pts, 17 rebs, 1 as, * blocks, 12-31 FG/FGA W
Kareem could certainly play with Dream. It is easily apparent that you haven't watched much Dream, who was in his prime for a long damn time before the Rockets got the right pieces around him. Keep in mind, that was old ass Kareem. There is no doubt that a game between the two in their respective primes would be competitive. (Obviously Dream owns) Wilt and Kareem were competitive. Prime Kareem and Dream would be competitive. Dream and Shaq were competitive. Shaq and Yao were competitive. Yao would rape any starting C today... Wilt would rape any starting C today...
That video is honestly a bunch of crap. You can tell his arm is about half-way up the backboard, but the angle of the camera makes it look as if his hand is at the top of the backboard. The rest of the video showing high-jump footage is irrelevant.
Because he was an old man, and Kareem is arguable the greatest C to ever lace them up? Wilt did a great job. If he was in his prime, boy would that have been a battle. Show me a player that has a shot as "skilled" as Kareem's sky hook. PWNED... :grin:
He put up good numbers against a 2nd year Kareem http://hoops-nation.com/community/topic/51382-kareem-abdul-jabbar-vs-wilt-chamberlain-head-to-head/ But he didnt put up 50/20.
You really can't compare those two eras. The talent gap was ridiculous when Wilt was putting up 50-20.
Obviously... He was an old man by then, with several seasons playing over 45 minutes per game under his belt.
Uh, couple of things. The top of the back board is 13 feet. So unless you're saying he's jumping 5 feet (60 inches), that's preposterous to say his head and shoulders should be over the top of the back board. Wilt was a track and field star prior to playing in the NBA, including a HIGH JUMPER. There is debate of his actual vertical leap. He is supposed to have a 48-50" vertical, it was for SURE well over 40". Take a look at this footage... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0EpVZS26BUs#! As for people pushing him around in the post, Wilt wasn't just strong, he was freakishly strong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=STXbuXGPdoY He was also ridiculously fast. At the University of Kansas, he had a sub 11s 100 yard dash time. As well as being an accomplished broad jumper, high jumper, and triple jumper. http://ezinearticles.com/?Wilt-Cham...sas-(KU)-In-Addition-to-Basketball&id=4113288 Shaq would have bulk, but I think it's debatable that he would have the strength advantage. And this is aside from his 7'8" wingspan... a wingspan that would be the highest ever measured at a draft combine. Oh, and he had a hook and a jumper. Seriously, Wilt was a true freak of nature.
My point is that he wasn't better than a young and inexperienced Kareem... and Wilt was only 33 years old when he first played against Kareem. He should have been teaching the young buck some lessons... but his stats were simply solid games. Not 50/20 games like he was doing against scrubs in his "prime".
Kareem was fantastic, and it wasn't like he was coming straight out of highschool. He was a true MVP by day one in the NBA. Wilt was an old man by NBA standards, in comparison to the minutes he had played. How old is Tracy McGrady again? Against an MVP, and arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, he was solid, as an old man. He could compete, that is what matters. There is a connection to the past. Kareem could compete against Dream and Ralph Sampson, and so on and so forth.
Name 5 great centers in the year 2001... Any of them better than Bill Russell? Check out the next 25 or so... Thank you...
The defensive rules were different when Wilt was playing. It's not only more physical than today, they did NOT have to stay next to their man. Wilt was not only double teamed, he was often triple and QUADRUPLE teamed, all while being constantly bodied up and hacked. Under today's rules, I doubt there's a Center in the NBA that could have stopped Wilt, between his strength, speed down the floor, physical size (btw, he was 292 in his FOURTH season as a pro), explosive leap, and ability to both post up and shoot jumpers and the sky hook. If there was a weakness in Wilt's personal skill set, it was his FT shooting. Outside of that, any assertion that Shaq would dominate Wilt if you're going off pure athleticism and strength alone is dodgy as far as I'm concerned.
